Contracts have been awarded for two major road projects that are being jointly funded by state and federal governments.
Mount Ousley interchange upgrade
The $390 million Mount Ousley interchange upgrade in New South Wales is a jointly funded project, with the Australian Government committing $240 million and the NSW Government $150 million.
The contract has been awarded to Fulton Hogan to design and build a new interchange, which will assist the 50,000+ motorists who travel through the base of Mount Ousley each day.
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister, Catherine King, said, “We are one step closer to starting major work on this critical piece of infrastructure, which will not only improve travel times for motorists but also provide safer journeys and support growing freight movements to the south coast.”
The project will improve road safety by providing northbound access from Mount Ousley Road to the motorway via an overpass and will also provide better separation of cars and heavy vehicles.
Federal Member for Cunningham, Alison Byrnes, said that the M1 Princes Motorway is one of the main road freight corridors to and from the Illawarra-Shoalhaven region, with an estimated give million tonnes of freight travelling the route each year.
When complete, the new interchange will include southbound heavy vehicle bypass lanes and safety ramps, a commuter carpark, and a shared path and vehicle overpass for improved access between Mount Ousley Road, M1 Princes Motorway and the University of Wollongong.
“The M1 Princes Motorway is the only road in and out of the Illawarra capable of handling the volume and size of traffic needed to support commuters coming to and from Greater Sydney and our growing local industry.
“It is the economic artery that ensures products like new cars, trucks and buses from the Port make their way to the showroom floor and BlueScope’s world class steel can find its way to market,” Member Byrnes said.
Detailed design work will start early in 2024. Transport for New South Wales and Fulton Hogan will work together throughout early work and the detailed design process to ensure the community continues to be informed about the project.
State Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast, Ryan Park, said, “While the priority is to get the work done, we will need to balance that with the need to ensure this critical commuter and freight route remains open, and disruptions are minimised where possible.”
Early work will start in the first half of 2024, including survey and geotechnical investigations, utility relocation and vegetation clearing.
Major work is expected to start in late 2024 and the project is expected to take about four years to complete.
Reid Highway interchanges upgrade
The ongoing program of congestion relief in Perth’s north-eastern suburbs has reached another milestone, with NRW Contracting named preferred proponent for the design and construction of two new interchanges on Reid Highway.
The $225 million project is jointly funded by the Australian and Western Australian Governments, both committing $112.5 million each. The upgrade will see two free-flowing interchanges constructed to replace the signalised intersections at Altone Road and Drumpellier Drive/Daviot Road.
As part of the project, Reid Highway will be modified to pass over Altone Road, while a new bridge will be constructed to allow Drumpellier Drive/Daviot Road to pass over Reid Highway.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said, “Reid Highway is a vital freight route across Perth’s northern suburbs and the progressive removal of signalised intersections is delivering shorter, safer and more predictable journey times.”
Access ramps and roundabouts will also be constructed to maintain connectivity to and from the highway.
The configuration will utilise the existing space around each intersection effectively and minimise the impact of the bridges on neighbouring residents.
For cyclists and pedestrians, a new bridge and underpasses will also be constructed, resulting in a free-flowing continuous shared path network from West Swan Road through to Malaga Drive.
Western Australia Minister for Transport, Rita Saffioto, said the project will significantly improve traffic flow along this critical freight route.
The intersections of Altone Road and Drumpellier Drive are two of only five remaining signalised intersections along Reid Highway. Congestion at each intersection is a growing issue due to increased traffic volumes from ongoing residential and commercial development in Perth’s north-eastern corridor.
Reid Highway also serves as a strategic east-west freight route. Following the recent opening of Tonkin Highway between Morley and Muchea, the new interchanges will further enhance the movement of heavy vehicles by removing signalised intersections on the strategic freight route.
State Member for Midland, Michelle Roberts, said, “As our north-eastern corridor continues to grow, traffic congestion will only become worse, but these new interchanges will deliver free-flowing vehicle movements while also maintaining access to Reid Highway for the surrounding road network.”
Construction is on track to begin in the first half of 2024 and scheduled for completion in early 2026.
